Training conditions are much better – players have more equipment available, and it is generally more sophisticated. They also have a lot more information available to help them understand how to take better care of their bodies.
In spite of that, playing at a FIFA World Cup™ at the age of 39 is no mean feat. He was not just part of the squad, either – he was a starter in a very talented Portugal side. Playing as a centre-back, he even got on the scoresheet in a thumping knock-out phase win against Switzerland. Only Pepe could have pulled that off.
On 6 December 2022, at Lusail Stadium, the Portugal captain rose to meet a Bruno Fernandes corner – winning the aerial battle with opposing defenders Fabian Schar and Manuel Akanji – and powerfully headed in to score Portugal’s second goal.
They completely dominated the Swiss and went on to win that last-16 tie in eye-catching fashion: the final score was 6-1, in large part down to a spectacular performance from Goncalo Ramos.
Pepe was exactly 39 years and 283 days old when he found the back of the net, making him the oldest player in history to score in a World Cup knockout match.
“I am lucky to have been able to play football, I am happy that I can wake up and do what I like most every day”, the centre-back said as he left the Lusail pitch.
Pepe beat the record previously set by Cameroon’s Roger Milla during their legendary FIFA World Cup Italy 1990™ campaign: he was aged 38 years and 34 days when he scored, also in the last 16, against Rene Higuita’s Colombia.
Milla, however, is still the oldest player to score at a FIFA World Cup: he was 42 years and 39 days when he scored against Russia at USA 1994.
This kind of longevity is not easy to come by. It is worth remembering that, when Pepe returned to FC Porto in 2019, having spent a decade at Real Madrid, there were questions over what level of performance could be expected of him, especially after he became a fan favourite in his first spell at the club from 2004 to 2007.
The ageless wonder soon answered those questions though, going on to win two more Portuguese league titles, three Taca de Portugal titles, two Supertacas and a Taca da Liga.
“Anyone who enjoys it like I do and puts everything into it, at 41 years of age, can be an example. I try to live my life one day at a time at this age – I no longer have the body of a 20- or 30-year-old, so I have to listen to it and use energy wisely”, said the centre-back, who only retired in August 2024, in an interview with TNT Brasil.
“This sport becomes more and more about that. With each year that passes, us players have to look after ourselves, focusing on the small details. That’s the kind of effort that people off the pitch don’t see.”
